Paging Occasion Monitoring

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems for paging occasion monitoring are disclosed. A method (700) includes, at a remote user equipment, identifying (702) at least one factor affecting the ability of the remote user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof. The method (700) includes determining (704) whether the remote user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting the paging occasion monitoring. The method (700) includes, in response to the remote user equipment determining not to monitor paging occasions, sending (706) to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof a request for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly, to paging occasion monitoring. [Background technology]

[0002] In some wireless communication networks, paging occasions may be monitored. In some configurations, monitoring paging occasions may be challenging due to poor signal quality, configuration information, and / or performance data. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] A method for paging occasion monitoring is disclosed. Apparatuses and systems also perform the functions of the method. In one embodiment, the method includes, at a remote user equipment, identifying at least one factor affecting the remote user equipment's ability to monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method includes determining whether the remote user equipment will monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring. In various embodiments, the method includes, in response to the remote user equipment determining not to monitor paging occasions, sending a request to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment.

[0004] An apparatus for paging occasion monitoring includes, in one embodiment, a remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a processor for identifying at least one factor affecting the ability of the remote user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof, and determining whether the remote user equipment will monitor the paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a transmitter for transmitting a request to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof, for the relay user equipment to monitor the paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment, in response to the remote user equipment determining not to monitor the paging occasions.

[0005] In various embodiments, a method for paging occasion monitoring includes receiving, at a relay user equipment, a request to monitor paging occasions that are for a remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the method includes determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the method includes, in response to determining that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, transmitting information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0006] In some embodiments, an apparatus for paging occasion monitoring includes a relay user equipment. In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a receiver that receives a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the apparatus further includes a processor that determines whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a transmitter that, in response to determining that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, transmits information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0007] In some embodiments, a method for switching relay UEs includes identifying, at a network device, first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to a first relay user equipment. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the method includes determining whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information.

[0008] An apparatus for switching relay UEs includes, in some embodiments, a network device. In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a processor that identifies first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to the first relay user equipment. In various embodiments, the apparatus further includes a receiver that receives second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for the remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the processor determines whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information.

[0009] The embodiments briefly described above will now be described in more detail by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, with the understanding that these drawings depict only some embodiments and therefore should not be considered limiting in scope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a wireless communication system for paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a device that may be used for paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of an apparatus that may be used for paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a communication diagram illustrating one embodiment of communication involving a relay UE. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a communication diagram illustrating one embodiment of communication with paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a communication diagram illustrating another embodiment of communication with paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating another embodiment of a method for paging occasion monitoring. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for switching relay UEs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the embodiments may be embodied as a system, apparatus, method, or program product. Accordingly, the embodiments may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which may be generally referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system." Furthermore, the embodiments may take the form of a program product embodied in one or more computer-readable storage devices that store machine-readable code, computer-readable code, and / or program code, hereinafter referred to as code. The storage devices may be tangible, non-transitory, and / or non-transmittable. The storage devices may not embody signals. In some embodiments, the storage devices merely use signals to access the code.

[0012] Some of the functional units described herein may be labeled as modules to further emphasize the implementation independence of those units. For example, a module may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom very-large-scale integration ("VLSI") circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in a programmable hardware device such as a field programmable gate array, programmable array logic, programmable logic device, or the like.

[0013] Also, modules may be implemented in code and / or software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of code may, for example, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of executable code, which may be organized as, for example, an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executable files of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise separate instructions stored in different locations that, when logically combined, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose of the module.

[0014] Indeed, a module of code may be a single instruction, many instructions, and may even be distributed across several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within a module and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set or distributed across different locations, including across different computer-readable storage devices. If a module, or portions of a module, are implemented in software, the software portions are stored on one or more computer-readable storage devices.

[0015] Any combination of one or more computer readable mediums may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium may be a storage device that stores code. The storage device may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0016] More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of storage devices include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory ("RAM"), a read-only memory ("ROM"), an erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM" or flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the context of this specification, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0017] The code for performing operations related to the embodiments may be any number of lines and may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Python, Ruby, Java, Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or the like, and / or machine code, such as assembly language. The code may run entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or remote server. In scenarios where the code runs entirely on a remote computer or remote server, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (“LAN”) or a wide area network (“WAN”), or the connection may be to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0018] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification can, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment and, unless otherwise specified, mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments." The words "including," "comprising," and "having," and variations thereof, mean "including, but not limited to," unless otherwise specified. Enumerated listings of items do not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the words "an" and "the" can also refer to "one or more," unless otherwise specified.

[0019] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, and other examples, to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments.

[0020] Aspects of the embodiments are described below with reference to schematic flowchart illustrations and / or schematic block diagrams of methods, apparatus, systems, and program products according to the embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the schematic flowchart illustrations and / or schematic block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the schematic flowchart illustrations and / or schematic block diagrams, may be implemented by code. The code may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a machine, such that the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the function(s) / act(s) specified in the block(s) of the schematic flowchart illustrations and / or schematic block diagrams.

[0021] The code may also be stored in a storage device that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the storage device result in an article of manufacture that includes instructions that implement the function(s) / act(s) specified in a block or blocks of the schematic flowchart diagrams and / or schematic block diagrams.

[0022] The code may also be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device such that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to cause a computer-implemented process such that the code executing on the computer or other programmable apparatus causes a process for implementing the function(s) / act(s) specified in the block or blocks of the schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams.

[0023] The schematic flowchart diagrams and / or schematic block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of apparatus, systems, methods, and program products according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the schematic flowchart diagrams and / or schematic block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions of code for implementing the specified logical function(s).

[0024] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. Other steps and methods may be envisioned whose function, logic, or effect is equivalent to one or more blocks of the illustrated figures, or portions of those blocks.

[0025] Although various arrow types and line types may be used in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, it is understood that they do not limit the scope of the corresponding embodiments. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the illustrated embodiments. For example, arrows may indicate wait or monitoring periods of unspecified duration between recited steps of the illustrated embodiments. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations, or a combination of dedicated hardware and code.

[0026] The description of an element in each figure may refer to the element in the previous figure. Like numbers refer to like elements in all figures, including alternative embodiments of like elements.

[0027] 1 illustrates an embodiment of a wireless communication system 100 for paging occasion monitoring. In one embodiment, the wireless communication system 100 includes a remote unit 102 and a network unit 104. Although a particular number of remote units 102 and network units 104 are shown in FIG. 1, those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of remote units 102 and network units 104 may be included in the wireless communication system 100.

[0028] In one embodiment, the remote unit 102 may include a computing device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), a tablet computer, a smartphone, a smart television (e.g., a television connected to the Internet), a set-top box, a game console, a security system (including security cameras), a vehicle-mounted computer, a network device (e.g., a router, a switch, a modem), an IoT device, or the like. In some embodiments, the remote unit 102 includes a wearable device such as a smart watch, a fitness band, an optical head-mounted display, or the like. Furthermore, the remote unit 102 may be referred to as a subscriber unit, a mobile, a mobile station, a user, a terminal, a mobile terminal, a fixed terminal, a subscriber station, user equipment (“UE”), a user terminal, a device, or by other terms used in the art. A remote unit 102 may communicate directly with one or more of the network units 104 via uplink ("UL") communication signals, and / or a remote unit 102 may communicate directly with other remote units 102 via sidelink communications.

[0029] The network units 104 may be distributed over a geographic region. In some embodiments, the network unit 104 may be an access point, access terminal, base, base station, Node-B, evolved Node-B ("eNB"), 5G Node-B ("gNB"), Home Node-B, relay node, device, core network, aerial server, radio access node, access point ("AP"), new radio ("NR"), network entity, access and mobility management function ("AMF"), unified data management ("UDM"), unified data repository ("UDR"), UDM / UDR, policy control function ("PCF"), radio access network ("RAN"), network slice selection function ("NSSF"), operations, administration, and management ("OAM"), session management function ("SMS"). A 3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) may be referred to by and / or may include one or more of: a Service Plane Function (SMF), a User Plane Function (UPF), an Application Function, an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Security Anchor Functionality (SEAF), a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF), or any other terminology used in the art.The network units 104 are typically part of a radio access network that includes one or more controllers communicatively coupled to a corresponding one or more network units 104. The radio access networks are typically communicatively coupled to one or more core networks, which may be coupled to other networks such as the Internet and the Public Switched Telephone Network, among other networks. These and other elements of the radio access and core networks are not shown but are generally well known by those skilled in the art.

[0030] In one implementation, the wireless communication system 100 conforms to the NR protocol standardized in the third generation partnership project (“3GPP”), where the network unit 104 transmits on the downlink (“DL”) using an OFDM modulation scheme and the remote unit 102 transmits on the uplink (“UL”) using a single-carrier frequency division multiple access (“SC-FDMA”) scheme or an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (“OFDM”) scheme. More generally, however, the wireless communication system 100 may implement any other open or proprietary communication protocol, such as WiMAX, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ("IEEE") 802.11 variants, Global System for Mobile Communications ("GSM"), General Packet Radio Service ("GPRS"), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System ("UMTS"), Long Term Evolution ("LTE") variants, Code Division Multiple Access 2000 ("CDMA2000"), Bluetooth, ZigBee, or Sigfox, among other protocols. This disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementation of any particular wireless communication system architecture or to the implementation of any particular wireless communication protocol.

[0031] The network unit 104 may serve several remote units 102, e.g., cells or cell sectors, within a serving area via wireless communication links. The network unit 104 transmits DL communication signals serving the remote units 102 in the time domain, frequency domain, and / or spatial domain.

[0032] In various embodiments, the remote unit 102 (e.g., a remote user equipment) may identify at least one factor affecting the remote user equipment's ability to monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment, where the at least one factor includes radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the remote unit 102 may determine whether the remote user equipment will monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring. In various embodiments, in response to the remote unit 102 determining that the remote user equipment will not monitor paging occasions, the remote unit 102 may send a request to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment. Thus, the remote unit 102 can be used for paging occasion monitoring.

[0033] In some embodiments, the remote unit 102 (e.g., a relay user equipment) may receive a request to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the remote unit 102 may determine whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, in response to the remote unit 102 determining that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment, the remote unit 102 may transmit information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment. Thus, the remote unit 102 can be used for paging occasion monitoring.

[0034] In some embodiments, the network unit 104 may identify first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to a first relay user equipment. In some embodiments, the network unit 104 may receive second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the network unit 104 may decide whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information. Thus, the network unit 104 can be used to switch relay UEs.

[0035] 2 illustrates an embodiment of an apparatus 200 that may be used for paging occasion monitoring. The apparatus 200 includes an embodiment of the remote unit 102. Additionally, the remote unit 102 may include a processor 202, a memory 204, an input device 206, a display 208, a transmitter 210, and a receiver 212. In some embodiments, the input device 206 and the display 208 are combined into a single device, such as a touchscreen. In some embodiments, the remote unit 102 may not include any input device 206 and / or any display 208. In various embodiments, the remote unit 102 may include one or more of the processor 202, the memory 204, the transmitter 210, and the receiver 212, and may not include the input device 206 and / or the display 208.

[0036] In one embodiment, the processor 202 may include any known controller capable of executing computer-readable instructions and / or performing logical operations. For example, the processor 202 may be a microcontroller, microprocessor, central processing unit ("CPU"), graphics processing unit ("GPU"), auxiliary processing unit, field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), or similar programmable controller. In some embodiments, the processor 202 executes instructions stored in the memory 204 to perform the methods and routines described herein. The processor 202 is communicatively coupled to the memory 204, the input device 206, the display 208, the transmitter 210, and the receiver 212.

[0037] In one embodiment, memory 204 is a computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory 204 includes a volatile computer storage medium. For example, memory 204 may include RAM, including dynamic RAM (“DRAM”), synchronous dynamic RAM (“SDRAM”), and / or static RAM (“SRAM”). In some embodiments, memory 204 includes a non-volatile computer storage medium. For example, memory 204 may include a hard disk drive, flash memory, or any other suitable non-volatile computer storage device. In some embodiments, memory 204 includes both volatile and non-volatile computer storage media. In some embodiments, memory 204 also stores program code and associated data, such as an operating system or other controller algorithms running on remote unit 102.

[0038] In one embodiment, the input device 206 may include any known computer input device, including a touch panel, buttons, a keyboard, a stylus, a microphone, or the like. In some embodiments, the input device 206 may be integrated with the display 208, for example, as a touch screen or similar touch-sensitive display. In some embodiments, the input device 206 includes a touch screen so that text may be entered using a virtual keyboard displayed on the touch screen and / or by handwriting on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the input device 206 includes two or more different devices, such as a keyboard and a touch panel.

[0039] In one embodiment, display 208 may include any known electronically controllable display or display device. Display 208 may be designed to output visual, audible, and / or tactile signals. In some embodiments, display 208 includes an electronic display capable of outputting visual data to a user. For example, display 208 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), a light emitting diode ("LED") display, an organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display, a projector, or similar display device capable of outputting images, text, or the like to a user. As another non-limiting example, display 208 may include a wearable display, such as a smartwatch, smart glasses, a heads-up display, or the like. Furthermore, display 208 may be a component of a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a television, a table computer, a notebook (laptop) computer, a personal computer, a vehicle dashboard, or the like.

[0040] In some embodiments, the display 208 includes one or more speakers for generating sounds. For example, the display 208 may generate audible alerts or notifications (e.g., beeps or chimes). In some embodiments, the display 208 includes one or more haptic devices for generating vibrations, movements, or other haptic feedback. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the display 208 may be integrated with the input device 206. For example, the input device 206 and the display 208 may form a touchscreen or similar touch-sensitive display. In other embodiments, the display 208 may be located near the input device 206.

[0041] In one embodiment, the processor 202 is responsible for identifying at least one factor affecting the ability of the remote user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof, and determining whether the remote user equipment will monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring. In some embodiments, the transmitter 210, in response to determining that the remote user equipment will not monitor paging occasions, transmits a request to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment.

[0042] In various embodiments, the receiver 212 may receive a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the processor 202 determines whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the transmitter 210, in response to determining that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, transmits information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0043] Although only one transmitter 210 and one receiver 212 are shown, the remote unit 102 may have any suitable number of transmitters 210 and receivers 212. The transmitter 210 and receiver 212 may be any suitable type of transmitter and receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter 210 and receiver 212 may be part of a transceiver.

[0044] 3 shows another embodiment of an apparatus 300 that may be used for paging occasion monitoring. The apparatus 300 includes an embodiment of the network unit 104. Furthermore, the network unit 104 may include a processor 302, a memory 304, an input device 306, a display 308, a transmitter 310, and a receiver 312. As can be appreciated, the processor 302, the memory 304, the input device 306, the display 308, the transmitter 310, and the receiver 312 may be substantially similar to the processor 202, the memory 204, the input device 206, the display 208, the transmitter 210, and the receiver 212 of the remote unit 102, respectively.

[0045] In some embodiments, the processor 302 may identify first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to the first relay user equipment. In various embodiments, the receiver 312 may receive second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for the remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the processor 302 determines whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information.

[0046] Although only one transmitter 310 and one receiver 312 are shown, the network unit 104 may have any suitable number of transmitters 310 and receivers 312. The transmitter 310 and receiver 312 may be any suitable type of transmitter and receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter 310 and receiver 312 may be part of a transceiver.

[0047] In some embodiments, there may be UE-to-network coverage extension, in which Uu coverage reachability may be required for a UE to reach a server in a packet data network ("PDN") or to reach a peer UE outside of its proximity area.

[0048] In various embodiments, there may be UE-to-UE coverage extension, in which case the proximity reachability may be limited to a single-hop sidelink link via EUTRA-based or NR-based sidelink technologies.

[0049] In some embodiments, UE-to-network coverage extension may be achieved using a user-to-network ("U2N") relay UE (hereinafter referred to as a "U2N relay" or "relay"). In such embodiments, a remote UE may use the U2N relay to access the wireless network in the UL and / or DL. In some embodiments, for out-of-coverage remote UEs, the U2N relay may be the only possibility to access the wireless network, but for some remote UEs in poor wireless coverage, it may be more efficient to use a relay UE to access the wireless network.

[0050] A UE may use discontinuous reception (DRX) in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states to reduce power consumption. The UE monitors one paging occasion (PO) per DRX cycle. A PO is a set of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions and may include multiple time slots (e.g., subframes or OFDM symbols) in which paging DCI may be sent. A paging frame (PF) is one radio frame and may encompass one or multiple POs or the starting point of a PO. In various embodiments, a relay UE may monitor the paging occasions (POs) and / or PFs of remote UEs connected to the relay UE. This can reduce DL reception opportunities for a single receive ("RX") capable repeater and / or can consume excess battery power (e.g., when the remote UE has a radio signal good enough to receive its own paging).

[0051] In some embodiments, the gNB may not have information about which remote UEs are connected to a Uu radio resource control (“RRC”) connected relay, and therefore the gNB may not know the paging occasions of the remote UEs. In such embodiments, the gNB may schedule relay UEs even when the gNB is remotely monitoring paging on a different bandwidth part (“BWP”) (e.g., an initial BWP) of RRC-idle and / or RRC-inactive remote UEs.

[0052] In some embodiments, if there are many remote UEs connected to an RRC connected relay UE, the relay UE may need to monitor that many paging occasions for those remote UEs, but may also need to forward paging messages to the paged remote UEs one by one. In such embodiments, the relay UE may consume excessive relay battery power and may reduce DL reception opportunities.

[0053] In various embodiments, if a potential change in U2N relay leads to a change in serving cell (e.g., even for remote UEs), it may not be possible to ensure lossless relay reselection or lossless mobility.

[0054] In some embodiments, relay selection or relay reselection may be based on various criteria. In such embodiments, the criteria may include information about the cell (e.g., public land mobile network (“PLMN”), user agent client (“UAC”) parameters, etc.). In some embodiments, the UE may initiate a PC5-RRC connection and may determine that the PC5-RRC connection needs to be released after the UE receives system information. In various embodiments, system information (“SI”) may be required for out-of-coverage (“OOC”) UEs or UEs in poor overlay network radio conditions as part of relay selection. In such embodiments, it may not be known when, how, and what system information needs to be provided for relay selection and / or relay reselection to facilitate smooth relay transfer.

[0055] In some embodiments, the RRC inactive UE RNTI ("I-RNTI") may not be shared on the PC5 link between the remote UE and the relay UE if it is considered sensitive (e.g., when using an L3-based U2N relay). In various embodiments, the RAN notification area update ("RNAU") and / or registration area update ("RAU") of the remote UE may be inefficient.

[0056] 4 is a communication diagram 400 illustrating one embodiment of communication involving a relay UE. The communication diagram 400 includes a TX remote UE 402 (UE1), a U2N relay UE 404 (UE2), and a gNB 406. The TX remote UE 402 may communicate with the U2N relay UE 404 via a PC5 interface 408, and the U2N relay UE 404 may communicate with the gNB 406 via a Uu interface 410.

[0057] In some embodiments, the TX remote UE 402 (UE1) is a UE that maintains an RRC state or mode (e.g., RRC connected, RRC idle, or RRC inactive) with the gNB 406 via a U2N relay UE 404 (UE2). Thus, in one embodiment, UE1 has one direct path (Uu) without using a relay UE2, and in another embodiment, UE1 has one indirect path when using a relay UE2. In some embodiments, the direct path may be unavailable because UE1 may be out of coverage of the gNB 406 and / or may have radio conditions that are too weak to support an efficient connection.

[0058] In various embodiments, a relay UE (e.g., a U2N relay) or a gNB may indicate to a remote UE whether the relay UE is monitoring paging, whether it can monitor paging for the remote UE, or whether the remote UE itself should monitor paging (e.g., when the relay is in RRC connected mode and has only one RX). In some embodiments, the decision as to whether the relay UE should monitor paging occasions for the remote UE may be made by the gNB when the remote UE first establishes an RRC connection to the gNB or when the relay UE informs the gNB about a new remote UE connecting to the relay UE over PC5. In some embodiments, the decision as to whether the relay UE should monitor paging occasions for the remote UE may be made directly by the relay UE when the remote UE first connects to the relay UE (e.g., when a PC5 RRC connection is established). The decision by the gNB or by the UE relay (e.g., a U2N relay) may be based on radio measurements from the remote UE. The radio measurements may indicate that the Uu radio interface for the remote UE is poor (e.g., below some network-configured threshold) and / or that the PC5 radio interface for the remote UE is good (e.g., above some network-configured threshold).

[0059] In some embodiments, the remote UE may determine whether it needs assistance in monitoring the remote UE's paging occasions (e.g., based on the remote UE's radio conditions and / or other factors, such as battery power). In such embodiments, the remote UE may request that the relay UE monitor the remote UE's paging occasions when the remote UE is out-of-band or has a very poor Uu air interface signal. The remote UE may request that the relay UE monitor the remote UE's paging occasions using a direct request to the relay UE or a direct request to the serving gNB, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0060] 5 is a communication diagram illustrating one embodiment of communications 500 with paging occasion monitoring. The communications 500 include messages transmitted between a TX remote UE 502, a U2N relay UE 504, and a gNB 506. Additionally, each of the communications 500 may include one or more messages. The TX remote UE 502 may communicate with the U2N relay UE 504 via a PC5 interface 508, and the U2N relay UE 504 may communicate with the gNB 506 via a Uu interface 510.

[0061] In a first communication 512 sent from the TX remote UE 502 to the gNB 506, the TX remote UE 502 sends relay assistance information (e.g., information indicating measurements, serving cell ID, and whether paging monitoring is needed and / or requested) to the gNB 506. In a second communication 514 sent from the gNB 506 to the U2N relay UE 504, the gNB 506 sends a paging monitoring query to the U2N relay UE 504. In a third communication 516 sent from the U2N relay UE 504 to the gNB 506, the U2N relay UE 504 sends a paging monitoring response to the gNB 506. In a fourth communication 518 sent from the gNB 506 to the TX remote UE 502, the gNB 506 sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the TX remote UE 502.

[0062] In some embodiments, the measurements provided by the TX remote UE 502 may be based on a measurement configuration provided by the network (e.g., the gNB 506). The measurement configuration may include thresholds for Uu interface measurements and PC5 interface measurements.

[0063] In various embodiments found herein, a relay UE monitors paging occasions (e.g., PO and / or PF) of remote UEs connected to the relay UE only when the relay UE needs to do so. In such embodiments, a relay UE that monitors paging occasions of remote UEs can avoid reducing DL reception opportunities of a single RX-enabled relay, which can save power and / or reduce battery consumption.

[0064] In some embodiments, an RRC connected relay UE may inform its serving gNB of information indicating at least one of: a) that the relay UE is monitoring paging channels for one or more RRC idle and / or RRC inactive remote UEs; and b) the paging occasion (or even disengagement time, disengagement period, and / or disengagement pattern for all RRC idle and / or RRC inactive remote UEs for which the relay UE is monitoring paging). The information may be updated by the relay UE whenever a new remote UE is added to the paging monitoring list or an existing remote UE is removed from the paging monitoring list. When the paging monitoring list is updated, the relay UE may autonomously switch the relay UE's active DL BWP to the initial DL BWP. In some embodiments, the network does not schedule the relay UE during the disengagement period or schedules the relay UE in the initial DL BWP. In various embodiments, instead of autonomously switching BWPs, the gNB switches the active BWP of the relay UE using explicit signaling to a DL BWP with at least one common search space (e.g., including pagingSearchSpace, searchSpaceSIB1, and searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation) on the active BWP to monitor paging.

[0065] In various embodiments, the gNB has information about which remote UEs are connected to the Uu RRC connected relay and may be aware of the paging occasions of the remote UEs. In such embodiments, the gNB may not schedule a relay UE if the relay UE is remotely monitoring paging on a different BWP (e.g., initial BWP) of the RRC idle and / or RRC inactive remote UEs.

[0066] In some embodiments, the network may ensure that a) the currently active DL BWP of the relay UE is provided with at least one of the common search spaces (e.g., including pagingSearchSpace, searchSpaceSIB1, and searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation) on the active BWP to monitor for paging, and b) pages for remote UEs connected to a given relay UE are sent to the currently active DL BWP of the relay UE rather than to the initial DL BWP, which allows the relay UE to stay on the currently active BWP of the relay UE and receive pages for the remote UE, thereby eliminating the need for BWP switching.

[0067] In some embodiments, the relay UE informs the gNB about which remote UEs it is connected to (e.g., 5G-S-TMSI). The relay UE receives the remote UE's 5G-S-TMSI from the relay UE. The NG-RAN node (e.g., gNB) stores this association between the relay UE and the remote UE's 5G-S-TMSI. When a paging message for a remote UE is received from the AMF, as shown in Figure 6, the paging message may be sent to the relay UE at the relay UE's paging occasion on the currently active DL BWP (e.g., either dedicatedly, such as by using a cell radio network temporary identifier ("RNTI") ("C-RNTI"), or on a paging channel, such as by using a paging radio network temporary identifier ("P-RNTI"), where the latter case forces the relay UE to monitor the paging channel at the relay UE's paging occasion while in any RRC state, including the RRC connected state). In some embodiments, if the gNB continues to use the remote UE's paging occasion to send any paging towards the gNB, the gNB may inform the relay UE accordingly. This allows the relay UE to be forced to monitor the paging channel for paging occasions of remote UEs while in any RRC state, including the RRC connected state.

[0068] In various embodiments, a remote UE requesting a relay UE to monitor the remote UE's paging may establish an RRC connection to inform the network that the remote UE requests paging monitoring. The gNB and / or AMF may store an association between the remote UE's 5G-S-TMSI and the relay UE. When a core network (CN) implementation and / or an AMF implementation is used, the AMF may store an association between the relay UE's 5G-S-TMSI and the 5G-S-TMSI of all remote UEs for which the relay UE is monitoring the paging of that remote UE. When any of the remote UEs is to be paged, the AMF includes the relay UE's 5G-S-TMSI on the N2 interface (e.g., along with other information in the paging message) unless the remote UE's paging occasion is to be used to page the remote UE.

[0069] 6 is a communication diagram illustrating another embodiment of communications 600 with paging occasion monitoring. The communications 600 include messages transmitted between a U2N relay UE 602, an NG-RAN node 604, and an AMF 606. Furthermore, each of the communications 600 may include one or more messages.

[0070] In a first communication 608 sent from the AMF 606 to the NG-RAN node 604, the AMF 606 may send a paging (e.g., for a remote UE) to the NG-RAN node 604. The NG-RAN node 604 may determine 610 that the paging for the remote UE should be sent at a paging occasion for the U2N relay UE 602. In a second communication 612 sent from the NG-RAN node 604 to the U2N relay UE 602, the NG-RAN node 604 may send a paging for the remote UE to the U2N relay UE 602 (e.g., at a paging occasion for the U2N relay UE 602).

[0071] In some embodiments, paging delivery may be more efficient if the U2N relay monitors paging for many remote UEs connected to the U2N relay. To achieve this, all remote UEs may be included in a group paging destination identifier (ID) (e.g., an L2 group paging destination ID; a special group destination ID may be used for L1 filtering and L2 filtering), and the received transport block may be forwarded via RRC signaling. The group for paging may be created or specified by the relay UE. Using the group paging destination ID, the relay UE may include paging records for multiple remote UEs in a combined manner. In some embodiments, the network may page all remote UEs connected to the relay UE at the same paging occasion (e.g., the same as the paging occasion of the relay UE based on the relay UE's identity). An advantage of some embodiments may be that the relay UE may send paging records for all remote UEs to be paged in a single transmission and / or message on PC5, which may save power. A benefit of various embodiments may be that a relay UE may only need to monitor a limited number of POs on the Uu interface for one or more remote UEs.

[0072] In some embodiments, the serving cell may control mobility for RRC connected remote UEs. The U2N relay may advertise its serving cell ID, and the remote UE may report the serving cell of a potential relay UE to the gNB of the remote UE in the serving cell to which the potential relay UE belongs (e.g., optionally including measurements and / or target frequencies of the potential relay). If a potential change in U2N repeater may lead to a change in the serving cell of the remote UE (e.g., because the potential relay UE is not served by the serving cell of the remote UE), the gNB may 1) configure measurements on the target cell and / or the frequency of the serving cell of the potential repeater, i.e., the UE may perform measurements accordingly and send a measurement report to the gNB, and / or 2) if a measurement report is available (e.g., including frequency and / or cell ID), the gNB may evaluate whether a) to handover the remote UE to the target cell over a direct Uu link and / or b) to handover the remote UE to the target cell over an indirect Uu link (e.g., if the X2 procedure indicates that after the handover, a particular repeater U2N may be used (e.g., Uu radio between the remote UE and the target cell is below a threshold and the direct link may not work or may be inefficient)).

[0073] An advantage of some embodiments may be that the best decision may be made between transferring the UE to a target cell with a target relay UE (e.g., indirect Uu) or transferring the UE to a target cell without using a target relay UE (e.g., direct Uu).

[0074] In some embodiments, the gNB releases the RRC connection of the remote UE. In various embodiments, if the Uu interface quality (e.g., between the remote UE and the target cell) falls below a threshold and a direct link may not work or may be inefficient, the remote UE releases the PC5 RRC connection to the original U2N relay and establishes a PC5 RRC connection to the target U2N relay UE. In some embodiments, if the Uu interface quality to the target cell exceeds a certain network-configured threshold, the remote UE may switch to a direct Uu interface connection at the target cell (e.g., potential relay UEs and / or target relay UEs are not used).

[0075] In various embodiments, there may be optimization of relay UE selection and / or relay UE reselection. In some embodiments, relay UE reselection may be biased to favor idle remote UEs and / or inactive remote UEs that avoid RAN area changes or tracking area updates (“TAUs”) (e.g., selecting and / or reselecting (e.g., using NotificationAreaInfo) a target relay served by a serving cell with the same tracking area code (“TAC”) that is part of the RAN area and / or is already part of the remote UE's TA list). Biasing may be achieved using radio parameters (e.g., measurement offsets) to evaluate relay UE selection or reselection.

[0076] In some embodiments, information including at least one of the IE systemInformationAreaID and a bitmap indicating which SIBs or features are supported by the serving cell of the relay UE may be included in a discovery message sent from the relay UE. Based on the information, a potential remote UE may determine whether the relay UE is suitable, such as whether it is served by a cell that supports features and / or functions of interest to the remote UE (e.g., vehicle-to-everything ("V2X"), mobile broadband service ("MBS"), positioning methods, etc.). In such embodiments, the valueTags of the individual SIBs may be advertised by the relay UE in the discovery message or in subsequent messages.

[0077] In various embodiments, the discovery message may include only a few (e.g., one) PLMNs (e.g., the first PLMN ID that appears in the cell's SIB1). In such embodiments, the remaining PLMNs may be included in another message (e.g., as a separate groupcast by the relay UE). In some embodiments, systemInformationAreaID may be applied to the PLMN list.

[0078] In some embodiments, a relay UE sends information including PLMN-IdentityInfoList and / or SI-scheduling-info to PC5-connected remote UEs after each cell reselection or handover. The remote UE may use this information to evaluate the situation and / or, if necessary, to trigger the RNAU and / or RAU procedures for the remote UEs using the U2N relay only for relay purposes. In some embodiments, the information elements (“IEs”) RAN-NotificationAreaInfo / TA and PeriodicRNAU-TimerValue may be shared by the remote UE with the serving U2N relay UE. In such embodiments, the relay UE may evaluate the required RNAU updates and / or RAUs for each connected remote UE after each cell reselection and handover and may initiate the corresponding procedures itself on behalf of the remote UE or signal the remote UE to do so.

[0079] In various embodiments, to mitigate security concerns of sharing a remote UE's I-RNTI with a relay UE, 1) the gNB may share the remote UE's I-RNTI with the relay UE while releasing the corresponding remote UE to an RRC inactive mode, by including the I-RNTI in an RRC message sent toward the relay UE, including the remote UE's RRC release message, or by separately signaling the remote UE's I-RNTI to the relay UE; and / or 2) may use a local UE identity for the remote UE. The local UE identity may be unique within a gNB and / or cell. The serving gNB may use the local UE identity to page RRC-inactive remote UEs. The relay UE may maintain a list of local UE identities (e.g., all remote UEs connected to the relay UE). When a remote UE connects to a relay UE belonging to a new cell, the relay UE may need to obtain a local UE identity for the remote UE.

[0080] 7 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 700 for paging occasion monitoring. In some embodiments, method 700 is performed by an apparatus such as remote unit 102. In some embodiments, method 700 may be performed by a processor executing program code, such as a microcontroller, microprocessor, CPU, GPU, auxiliary processing unit, FPGA, or the like.

[0081] The method 700 may include, at the remote user equipment, identifying (702) at least one factor affecting the remote user equipment's ability to monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment, where the at least one factor includes radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method 700 includes determining (704) whether the remote user equipment will monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring. In various embodiments, the method 700 includes, in response to the remote user equipment determining not to monitor paging occasions, sending (706) to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof a request that the relay user equipment monitor paging occasions intended for the remote user equipment.

[0082] In some embodiments, the remote user equipment has a PC5 radio resource control connection to the relay user equipment. In some embodiments, the radio situation relates to at least one of an overlay radio access network and a network relay user equipment.

[0083] In various embodiments, the radio conditions include measurements performed based on configurations provided by the network device and relayed by the network relay user equipment. In one embodiment, sending a request to the network device, the relay user equipment, or a combination thereof for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment includes sending information indicative of at least one factor along with the request.

[0084] 8 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating another embodiment of a method 800 for paging occasion monitoring. In some embodiments, method 800 is performed by an apparatus such as remote unit 102. In some embodiments, method 800 may be performed by a processor executing program code, such as a microcontroller, microprocessor, CPU, GPU, auxiliary processing unit, FPGA, or the like.

[0085] The method 800 may include receiving 802, at a relay user equipment, a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the method 800 includes determining 804 whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the method 800 includes transmitting 806, in response to determining that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0086] In some embodiments, receiving, at the relay user equipment, a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes receiving the request from the remote user equipment, a network device, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment based on whether the relay user equipment has at least two receiver chains. In various embodiments, the network device determines whether to send a request for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment based on at least one factor.

[0087] In one embodiment, the at least one factor includes radio conditions of the remote user equipment, battery usage of the remote user equipment, configuration of the remote user equipment, monitored parameters of the remote user equipment, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, method 800 further includes transmitting information from the relay user equipment to the network device indicating a monitored paging channel for the remote user equipment, a set of paging occasions that the relay user equipment is monitoring, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, method 800 further includes switching from an active downlink bandwidth portion to an initial bandwidth portion to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0088] In various embodiments, the method 800 further includes receiving information from the network device indicating that the relay user equipment switch to different bandwidth portions to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment. In one embodiment, the paging occasions correspond to multiple remote user equipment. In some embodiments, the multiple remote user equipment are identified using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0089] In some embodiments, the method 800 further includes reporting information corresponding to paging occasions for the plurality of relay user equipments using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0090] 9 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 900 for switching relay UEs. In some embodiments, the method 900 is performed by an apparatus such as the network unit 104. In some embodiments, the method 900 may be performed by a processor executing program code, such as a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a CPU, a GPU, an auxiliary processing unit, an FPGA, or the like.

[0091] The method 900 may include identifying (902) at a network device first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to a first relay user equipment. In some embodiments, the method 900 includes receiving (904) second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the method 900 includes determining (906) whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information.

[0092] In some embodiments, method 900 further includes receiving, from the remote user equipment, third information including measurement results corresponding to the second relay user equipment, a target frequency corresponding to the second relay user equipment, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, method 900 further includes, in response to the first serving cell identifier being different from the second serving cell identifier, if the third information including the measurement results is not available at the network device, transmitting measurement configuration information to the remote user equipment. In various embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes information indicating to perform measurements on a second serving cell corresponding to the second serving cell identifier, a frequency corresponding to the second serving cell, or a combination thereof.

[0093] In one embodiment, the method 900 further includes receiving a measurement report from the remote user equipment, the measurement report corresponding to the measurement configuration information. In some embodiments, the method 900 further includes determining, based on the measurement report, whether a handover of the remote user equipment to the second serving cell should occur over a direct Uu link or an indirect Uu link. In some embodiments, the method 900 further includes releasing a radio resource control connection of the remote user equipment in response to determining to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment.

[0094] In various embodiments, the remote unit receives third information from the relay user equipment, the third information including an information element, a systemInformationAreaID, a bitmap indicating which system information blocks are supported by the second serving cell, or a combination thereof, and evaluates suitability of the relay user equipment based on the third information.

[0095] In one embodiment, a method includes: identifying, at a remote user equipment, at least one factor affecting the ability of the remote user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof; determining whether the remote user equipment will monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring; and, in response to the remote user equipment determining not to monitor paging occasions, sending a request to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment.

[0096] In some embodiments, the remote user equipment has a PC5 radio resource control connection to the relay user equipment.

[0097] In some embodiments, the radio conditions relate to at least one of an overlay radio access network and a network relaying user equipment.

[0098] In various embodiments, the radio conditions include measurements performed based on configurations provided by network devices and relayed by network relaying user equipment.

[0099] In one embodiment, transmitting to the network device, the relay user equipment, or a combination thereof a request for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes transmitting information indicative of at least one factor along with the request.

[0100] In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a remote user equipment, the apparatus further comprising: a processor for identifying at least one factor affecting an ability of the remote user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof, and determining whether the remote user equipment will monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment based on the factors affecting paging occasion monitoring, and a transmitter for transmitting a request to a network device, a relay user equipment, or a combination thereof, in response to the remote user equipment determining not to monitor paging occasions, for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment.

[0101] In some embodiments, the remote user equipment has a PC5 radio resource control connection to the relay user equipment.

[0102] In some embodiments, the radio conditions relate to at least one of an overlay radio access network and a network relaying user equipment.

[0103] In various embodiments, the radio conditions include measurements performed based on configurations provided by network devices and relayed by network relaying user equipment.

[0104] In one embodiment, the transmitter transmitting to the network device, the relay user equipment, or a combination thereof, a request for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes the transmitter transmitting, together with the request, information indicative of the at least one factor.

[0105] In one embodiment, the method includes receiving, at a relay user equipment, a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, determining whether the relay user equipment monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, and, in response to determining that the relay user equipment monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, transmitting information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0106] In some embodiments, receiving, at the relay user equipment, a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes receiving the request from the remote user equipment, a network device, or a combination thereof.

[0107] In some embodiments, determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment based on whether the relay user equipment has at least two receiver chains.

[0108] In various embodiments, the network device determines whether to send a request for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment based on at least one factor.

[0109] In one embodiment, the at least one factor includes radio conditions of the remote user equipment, battery usage of the remote user equipment, configuration of the remote user equipment, monitored parameters of the remote user equipment, or a combination thereof.

[0110] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting information from the relay user equipment to the network device indicating a monitored paging channel for the remote user equipment, a set of paging occasions that the relay user equipment is monitoring, or a combination thereof.

[0111] In some embodiments, the method further includes switching from the active downlink bandwidth portion to the initial bandwidth portion to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0112] In various embodiments, the method further includes receiving information from the network device indicating that the relay user equipment is to switch to a different bandwidth portion to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0113] In one embodiment, a paging occasion corresponds to multiple remote user equipment.

[0114] In some embodiments, multiple remote user equipments are identified using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0115] In some embodiments, the method further includes reporting information corresponding to paging occasions for the plurality of relay user equipments using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0116] In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a relay user equipment, the apparatus further comprising: a receiver for receiving a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, a processor for determining whether the relay user equipment monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment, and a transmitter for transmitting information indicating that the relay user equipment monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment in response to determining that the relay user equipment monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment.

[0117] In some embodiments, the receiver receiving a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes the receiver receiving the request from the remote user equipment, a network device, or a combination thereof.

[0118] In some embodiments, the processor determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment includes the processor determining whether the relay user equipment monitors paging occasions that are for the remote user equipment based on whether the relay user equipment has at least two receiver chains.

[0119] In various embodiments, the network device determines whether to send a request for the relay user equipment to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment based on at least one factor.

[0120] In one embodiment, the at least one factor includes radio conditions of the remote user equipment, battery usage of the remote user equipment, configuration of the remote user equipment, monitored parameters of the remote user equipment, or a combination thereof.

[0121] In some embodiments, the transmitter transmits information from the relay user equipment to the network device indicating a monitored paging channel for the remote user equipment, a set of paging occasions that the relay user equipment is monitoring, or a combination thereof.

[0122] In some embodiments, the processor switches from an active downlink bandwidth portion to an initial bandwidth portion to monitor for paging occasions that are for remote user equipment.

[0123] In various embodiments, the receiver receives information from the network device indicating that the relay user equipment is switching to a different bandwidth portion to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the remote user equipment.

[0124] In one embodiment, a paging occasion corresponds to multiple remote user equipment.

[0125] In some embodiments, multiple remote user equipments are identified using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0126] In some embodiments, the transmitter reports information corresponding to paging occasions for multiple relay user equipments using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0127] In one embodiment, the method includes, at a network device, identifying first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to a first relay user equipment, receiving second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for the remote user equipment, and determining whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information.

[0128] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, from the remote user equipment, third information including a measurement result corresponding to the second relay user equipment, a target frequency corresponding to the second relay user equipment, or a combination thereof.

[0129] In some embodiments, the method further includes, in response to the first serving cell identifier being different from the second serving cell identifier, if third information including the measurement results is not available at the network device, transmitting measurement configuration information to the remote user equipment.

[0130] In various embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes information indicating to perform measurements on a second serving cell corresponding to a second serving cell identifier, a frequency corresponding to the second serving cell, or a combination thereof.

[0131] In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving a measurement report from the remote user equipment, the measurement report corresponding to the measurement configuration information.

[0132] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining, based on the measurement report, whether a handover of the remote user equipment to the second serving cell should be performed over a direct Uu link or an indirect Uu link.

[0133] In some embodiments, the method further includes releasing a radio resource control connection of the remote user equipment in response to determining to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment.

[0134] In various embodiments, the remote unit receives third information from the relay user equipment, the third information including an information element, a systemInformationAreaID, a bitmap indicating which system information blocks are supported by the second serving cell, or a combination thereof, and evaluates suitability of the relay user equipment based on the third information.

[0135] In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a network device, the apparatus further comprising: a processor for identifying first information indicating a first serving cell identifier corresponding to a first relay user equipment; and a receiver for receiving second information indicating a second serving cell identifier corresponding to a second relay user equipment for a remote user equipment, the processor determining whether to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment based on the first information and the second information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the receiver receives third information from the remote user equipment, the third information including a measurement result corresponding to the second relay user equipment, a target frequency corresponding to the second relay user equipment, or a combination thereof.

[0137] In some embodiments, the method further includes a transmitter that, in response to the first serving cell identifier being different from the second serving cell identifier, transmits measurement configuration information to the remote user equipment if third information including the measurement results is not available at the network device.

[0138] In various embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes information indicating to perform measurements on a second serving cell corresponding to a second serving cell identifier, a frequency corresponding to the second serving cell, or a combination thereof.

[0139] In one embodiment, the receiver receives measurement reports from remote user equipment, the measurement reports corresponding to measurement configuration information.

[0140] In some embodiments, the processor determines, based on the measurement report, whether a handover of the remote user equipment to the second serving cell should occur over a direct Uu link or an indirect Uu link.

[0141] In some embodiments, in response to the processor determining to switch the remote user equipment from the first relay user equipment to the second relay user equipment, the processor releases a radio resource control connection of the remote user equipment.

[0142] In various embodiments, the remote unit receives third information from the relay user equipment, the third information including an information element, a systemInformationAreaID, a bitmap indicating which system information blocks are supported by the second serving cell, or a combination thereof, and evaluates suitability of the relay user equipment based on the third information.

[0143] The embodiments may be embodied in other specific forms. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects merely as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than by the preceding description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 100 Wireless Communication System 102 Remote Unit 104 Network Unit 200, 300 devices 202, 302 processors 204, 304 memory 206, 306 input devices 208, 308 display 210, 310 transmitter 212, 312 receiver 402, 502 TX remote UE 404, 504, 602 U2N relay UE 406, 506 gNB 408, 508 PC5 interface 410, 510 Uu interface 500, 600 communications 512, 608 First Communication 514, 612 Second communication 516 Third Communication 518 Fourth Communication 604 NG-RAN nodes 606 AMF

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: At least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor causes the UE to: identifying at least one factor affecting the UE's ability to monitor paging occasions that are for the UE, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof; determining whether to monitor the paging occasion based on the at least one factor; In response to determining not to monitor the paging occasion, transmitting a message to a network device, a relay UE, or a combination thereof, the message including a request to the relay UE to monitor the paging occasion, the message further including information indicative of the at least one factor; configured to cause UE.

2. The UE has a PC5 radio resource control connection to the relay UE The UE of claim 1.

3. The radio conditions relate to at least one of an overlay radio access network and a network relaying user equipment. The UE of claim 1.

4. The radio conditions include measurements performed based on configurations provided by the network devices. The UE of claim 1.

5. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communications, comprising: At least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor causes the UE to: receiving a message including a request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote UE; determining whether the UE monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote UE; and in response to the UE determining that the UE monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote UE, causing a network device to send information indicating that the UE monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote UE; The received message further includes information indicating at least one factor affecting the remote UE's ability to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote UE, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof. UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: cause the UE to receive the request to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote UE; The UE of claim 5.

7. To determine whether the UE monitors the paging occasions that are for the UE, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine whether the UE monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote UE based on whether the UE has at least two receiver chains. The UE of claim 5.

8. The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit information from the UE to the network device indicating a monitored paging channel for the remote UE, a set of paging occasions that the UE is monitoring, or a combination thereof. The UE of claim 5.

9. The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to switch from an active downlink bandwidth portion to an initial bandwidth portion to monitor the paging occasion for the remote UE. The UE of claim 5.

10. The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive, from a network device, information indicating that the UE is to switch to a different bandwidth portion to monitor the paging occasions that are for the remote UE. The UE of claim 5.

11. The paging occasion corresponds to a plurality of remote UEs, and optionally includes: The plurality of remote UEs are identified using a group paging destination Layer 2 identifier, and optionally The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to report information corresponding to the paging occasions for the plurality of remote UEs using the group paging destination Layer 2 identifier. The UE of claim 5.

12. A method for wireless communication, comprising: identifying at least one factor at a remote user equipment (UE) that affects the ability of the remote UE to monitor paging occasions that are intended for the UE, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof; determining whether to monitor the paging occasion for the remote UE based on the at least one factor affecting paging occasion monitoring; in response to the remote UE determining not to monitor the paging occasion, sending a message to a network device, a relay UE, or a combination thereof, the message including a request to the relay UE to monitor the paging occasion intended for the remote UE; The message further includes information indicating the at least one factor. method.

13. A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving, at a relay user equipment (UE), a message including a request to monitor paging occasions that are for a remote UE; determining whether the relay UE monitors the paging occasions that are for the remote UE; and in response to the relay UE determining to monitor the paging occasion, transmitting, to a network device, information indicating that the relay UE monitors the paging occasion that is for the remote UE; The received message further includes information indicating at least one factor affecting the remote UE's ability to monitor paging occasions that are for the remote UE, the at least one factor including radio conditions, battery usage, configuration, monitored parameters, or a combination thereof. method.

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